Print roll and like article



u ufiy E3 1934. R A WILKiNg I,965,@19

PRINT ROLL AND LIKE ARTICLE Filed Aug. 30, 1930 Patented tal s, 1934 i 1,965 019 STATES PATENT OFFICE L955AP19 PRINT ROLL AND LIKE ARTICLE Richard A. Wilkins, Beverly, Mass, assignor to Industrial Development Corporation, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Maine Application August so, 1930, Serial No. 478,904

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 101-375) My invention relates to articles coated by elecbroken away, of aprint roll made according to tro-deposition, and particularly, but not exclusivethe invention. ly, cylindrical articles such as print rolls and- Referring to the drawing, the print roll illuscylindrical cathodes, the latter such as employed trated comprises a sleeve 1 conveniently formed in apparatus of the type disclosed by United of cast iron on which is electro-deposited alayer States patent to Merritt No. 1,601,690, issued Sep- 3 of suitable metahas for example copper. At tember 28, 1926, and also relates to methods of opposite ends of the sleeve are heads 5 having pormaking such articles. tions providing cylindrical surfaces 7 which fit the The invention will be best understood from the inner wall 9 of the sleeve, these heads also having 1c following description when read in the light of the flanges 11 the inner lateral surfaces 12 of' which 5 accompanying drawing of an article made accordabut with the annular end surfaces of the .sleeve, ing to the invention, the scope of which latter while the peripheral surfaces 13 of the flanges will be more particularly pointed out in the apconform to the outer surface 15 of the sleeve. pended claims, Herein a shaft 17 extends through openings 19 in 15 Print rolls, which commonly are from six inches the two heads 5 for rotatably supporting the roll.

to six feet in diameter and from one to ten feet long, It will be understood that, due to the large dihave heretofore been made of thick walled copper ameter of the print rolls and due to the difference castings, which latter, due to the expensiveness in coefficients of expansion between the sleeve 1 of the material employed and the technical difand layer 3, there is a material tendency of said 20 ficulties encountered in forming large castings of layer to loosen or partially loosen from the sleeve, that material, are exceedingly costly. According the latter causing warping of the surface of said to the present invention, the body of the roll may layer from that of the true cylinder. According be formed of an inexpensive, easily cast and easily to the present invention, to overcome these deworked metal, such as cast iron or aluminum, fects, the sleeve 1 is provided with a plurality of 25 which body is covered with an electro-deposited inserts 21, which latter conveniently may be in layer of copper, the latterpossessing such properthe form of copper or other metallic plugs inties of hardness, toughness, and uniformity of serted in the surface of the sleeve prior to electrostructure that a greater uniformity in wear is sedepositing the layer 3 thereon. These plugs may cured as compared to cast copper rolls, while at be secured in recesses 23 formed in the surface 30 the same time securing an improved surface for portion of the sleeve in any convenient manner, forming the pattern. The improved print rolls as for example, by causing them to have a driving are less expensive to produce as compared to cast fit with the recesses or by screw threading them copper rolls, and have the advantage that when thereinto, or by sweating" them to the walls of worn, or when refinished by turning operations the recesses after they are inserted. The copper,

35 to remove the patterns, can be readily restored to or like layer, when electro-deposited on the cast their original diameters by subjecting them to iron sleeve 1, will be united electrolytically with electro-depositing operations for replacing the the outer surfaces of the plugs 21, and therefore copper worn off or removed in refinishing them, will be substantially integrally united with the whereas cast copper rolls ordinarily must be dissame. I

40 carded after they are several times subjected to The heads 5 are secured to the sleeve 1 in any turning operations for refinishing them, or for suitable-manner, after which the outer surface .of truing them to accurate cylindrical shapes to comsaid sleeve, the peripheral portions 13 of the pensate for irregularites in wear. In this latter flanges 11 of the heads, and the outer ends of the respect the turnings removed from print rolls inserts may be machined to form a fairly accu- 5 constructed according to the present invention rate cylindrical surface, which latter, prior to may be replaced by electro-deposition, by practice electrodepositing the copper layer, may be sand of the method disclosed in the above mentioned blasted to clean it and to secure better adherence patent, thus avoiding the extreme reductions in of the copper layer. Prior to electro-depositing diameters of the rolls as occur when refinishing the layer 3, the outer surface of the cylinder con- 50 cast copper rolls by turning operations. veniently may be given a flash coating" of cop- It will thus be observed, that with print rolls per, or like metal, in any convenient manner, as constructed according to the present invention, for example, by a sponge plating process or by large economic savings are effected in respect to electro-depositing the flash layer from a copper capital costs and maintenance. cyanide solution. 1

55 The drawing is a perspective view, with parts The layer 3, which may be in the order of onehalf inch thick, may be deposited by use of the apparatus disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 461,091, filed June 14, 1930, in which apparatus the electrolyte is caused to pass rapidly in a swiftly flowing stream through a lead lined trough constituting an insoluble anode, while the roll is partially immersed in said stream of electrolyte and is rotated with its surface in proximity to the walls of the trough, the sleeve 1 being connected to the negative terminal of a depositing source of electromotive force by collector rings temporarily secured to the shaft 1'7 in electrical contact therewith.

It will be noted, that while the layer 3 is being plated, the current is conducted by the heads 5 from said layer to the shaft 1'7, which heads, to facilitate this conduction, are preferably made of a low resistance bronze. It will be observed, that by having the peripheral portion 13 of the heads 5 in contact with the layer 3, a low resistance path for the current is provided. Preferably, to permit ready use of a high plating current, say in the order of 6000 amperes for a roll two feet in diameter and five feet long, the abutting portions of the heads 5 and sleeve 1 are sweated together, while the flanges ll of the heads 5 are of substan-. tial width. Also, by making the flanges 11 constitute the end portions of the cylinder on which the coating 3 is deposited, the thickness of the layer 3 will be maintained at the end of the roll due to the low resistance of the bronze heads 5, which result would not be so readily secured if the sleeve 1 extended to the extreme end of the roll.

It will be understood that wide deviations may be made from the form of roll disclosed and the materials and steps of the method described without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A print roll comprising an iron body with an outer cylindrical surface having formed therein a plurality of spacedperforations, a separate metallic plug fitting each of said perforations with the outer surface of each plug flush with said cylindrical surface of said body, and a relatively thick electro-deposited copper layer on said cylinder having a continuously uniform outer sur-'- face, said copper layer being electrolytically united with said plugs.

2. A print roll comprising an iron body with an outer cylindrical surface having formed therein a plurality of spaced cylindrical perforations arranged radially of said body, metallic cylindrical plugs fitting said perforations with their outer surfaces flush with said cylindrical surface of said body, and a relatively thick electro-deposited copper layer on said cylinder having a continuously uniform outer surface, said copper layer being electrolytically united with said plugs.

RICHARD A. WILKINS. 

